ISLAMABAD: Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Mohammad Khan on Monday informed the Senate that the master plan of Islamabad was being reviewed after 53 years.

He also said reforms were being made in the Capital Development Authority (CDA) on the directives of Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Winding up discussion on a motion moved by Senator Mushtaq Ahmed that the house may discuss damages caused to lives and properties due to torrential rains in Islamabad on July 28 and the policy of the government to cope with such a situation in future, the minister said the entire district administration, its allied departments, police and military personnel had promptly acted.

The deputy commissioner Islamabad personally supervised the whole operation, he added.

He supported the suggestion of Senator Mushtaq for carrying out a thorough investigation into the incident and fix responsibility on those who illegally created plots along the nullahs.

The issue was also discussed in the federal cabinet, he added. He said the government had no objection to referring the matter to the committee to address reservations expressed by Senator Mushtaq.

The chair referred the matter to the standing committee on interior for detailed discussion.

Earlier, moving the motion Senator Mushtaq said illegal commercial plazas were constructed in E-11 by encroaching a nullah that caused urban flooding in Islamabad for the first time causing millions of rupees damage to private properties besides the loss of two lives.

He alleged that there were mafias in CDA who allowed creation of such illegal plots along the nullahs.

He demanded a high-level commission to probe the matter, and strict accountability of the concerned officials involved in the illegal practice.

He also suggested that small dams should be built on rainy nullahs which would help enhance beauty of the capital.

Published in Dawn, September 28th, 2021